Novak Djokovic has played Gael Monfils twelve times in his pro career. This match, like the eleven before it, ended with the Serb leaving the victor. The 6-3, 6-2 scoreboard is not entirely indictive of how exciting the match really was. Monfils' entertainment value cannot be described with mere finite numbers; it simply isn't possible. However, the Frenchman did miss more than his fair share of break point chances (one-of-seven on the night). It took the world number one just 72 minutes to past his opponent and advance to the Rogers Cup final.
Djokovic wins tricky first set
It took just one point for the tone of the match to be set; the match would feature myriad of long rallies, thus opening the door for the defensive Monfils. The Frenchman won the first point, and the second—on a Djokovic double fault. Two points later, he found himself two break points on a forehand error from his opponent. The Serb got the next four points to go his way to escape the break, and hold to a 1-0 lead. More of the same began the second game, with only the roles changed. Djokovic struck first to a 0-30 lead, but his French adversary took the next for points to hold at 30, 1-1.
Long rally after long rally began the third game, and everything was going Monfils’ way; he pushed his way to triple break point at 0-40. Some phenomenal shot making saved the first two, but a costly double fault gifted the break to the lower-seeded competitor. In the next game, Monfils won every point he won via the ace; unfortunately, he only had one ace. At 15-30, Djokovic won a 39-shot rally to reach two break points of his own. One more long rally went his way, and the Serb broke back to 2-2.
The fifth game was played without drama as the top seed finally held easily at 15. After a trio of errors, Monfils found himself facing three break points. He was quickly broken after making a complete mess of an overhead. The Frenchman now faced a two-game deficit, 2-4. Djokovic consolidated the break at 30—despite some spotty serving—to take a 5-2 lead. That lead was decreased to 5-3, but the world number one was still serving for the set. A love hold ended it, and Djokovic was halfway to Sunday’s final. It took the 12-time Slam winner just 37 minutes to win the set.
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Djokovic finishes the match in straight sets
At deuce in the first game of the set, Monfils couldn't get a crosscourt forehand to climb over the net—setting up a break point for the Serbian on the other side of the net. A poorly-timed backhand slice also couldn't make it over the net, and Djokovic lead by a break early. The top seed consolidated the break at love to swell his lead, 2-0. The 2016 Citi Open champion got on the board in the set with a hold at 15, and his play began to pick up; he stopped playing every point from six feet behind the baseline, started getting to the net more, and began displaying the signature elevation sensation.
At 30-30 in the next game, Djokovic missed a forehand crosscourt wide—giving his opponent a chance to close the gap. The world number 14 couldn't get the break on his first chance—after slapping a return into the net—but the next point would set up another opportunity to get back into the match. After two forehands driven long and a backhand wide by the tenth seed, Djokovic survived another pair of break points to hold to 3-1. Two more break points found their way into the Serb’s court, thanks to a no-look, reverse flick at the net went into the net by the Frenchman. The pair split the next two points as the first break point was saved, while the second was relinquished on a ferocious forehand crosscourt. With a two-break lead, Djokovic had essentially won the match. The 4-1 lead grew into a 5-1 lead after a hold at 15.
While Monfils had made some adjustments in the second set—most noticeably his upped aggression—it was simply too little, too late to make an impact. The Frenchman put up a final fight to hold one last time after one deuce, but that would be his last game won in Toronto. His Serbian opponent would finish the match with a hold at 30. Despite the loss, Monfils' rank will climb three spots--from number 14 in the world to number 11.
With a semifinal win over Monfils, Djokovic will advance to face Kei Nishikori—who romped Stan Wawrinka in the earlier semifinal, 7-6(6), 6-1—in the final. This will be their second meeting in a Masters 1000 final in 2016 (the other in Miami) and their 12th career meeting. Djokovic currently leads their head-to-head, 9-2.